House Republicans and their business allies renewed their criticism of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, saying the agency is overreaching in enforcing employment discrimination laws.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a research report Tuesday saying the agency has been using “unreasonable” enforcement tactics, and called on Congress to step up oversight of the agency, which it says too often neglects its duties to employers.

The Chamber sent the 25-page report to House lawmakers Monday night and issued it publicly on Tuesday, minutes before Republicans on the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections led a hearing to examine their concerns with the EEOC.

The Chamber says its research shows the EEOC’s compliance strategy prioritizes punishment and litigation over education and cooperation, and assumes employers are bad actors regardless of their efforts to comply with the law. It also says the agency’s investigative tactics amount to “bullying,” including overly burdensome requests for information and sweeping subpoenas.

“This is an agency that deserves greater attention and oversight as it claims to promote its critical agenda of equal employment opportunity,” said Randy Johnson, the Chamber’s senior vice president of labor, immigration and employee benefits.

EEOC spokeswoman Christine Nazer said the agency was still reviewing the report but defended its litigation as “a critical part of the success of our mission to stop and remedy unlawful employment discrimination.”

At the hearing, subcommittee Chairman Rep. Tim Walberg (R., Mich.) mentioned the Chamber report and said committee members have raised concerns that numerous EEOC policies aren’t in the best interest of employers and workers.

Most of the hearing focused on one hot-button issue: the EEOC’s April 2012 guidance about employers’ use of criminal-background checks. That guidance and related lawsuits against employers have drawn a backlash from the business community.

Mr. Walberg said the guidance restricts the background checks in ways that make it more difficult for employers to ensure safety of employees and customers. The EEOC says on its website that it “simply seeks to ensure that such information is not used in a discriminatory way.”

The subcommittee heard testimony from witnesses representing the National Small Business Association, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the sister of Sue Weaver, a woman who was raped and murdered by an in-home service worker with a criminal record. Camille Olson, a partner with Seyfarth Shaw LLP, and the head of the U.S. Chamber’s Equal Employment Opportunity subcommittee, also testified.

Mr. Walberg repeated concerns he had raised at a similar hearing last year. “Unfortunately our concerns continue to be ignored,” he said.

The EEOC’s Ms. Nazer said the agency “takes the concerns raised by members of Congress seriously, and will continue to work with them to ensure the nation’s workplaces are safe and free of discrimination.”

The subcommittee’s top Democrat, Rep. Joe Courtney (D., Conn.), symbolized the partisan clash over labor issues. “Frankly there are other issues which this subcommittee should be taking up,” he said, citing raising the minimum wage as one of them. He also said he was “puzzled” as to why EEOC Chairwoman Jacqueline Berrien was not invited to testify.

About Washington Wire

Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.